The law passed in the sieve of the deputies with no votes against and abstentions during the eighth ordinary plenary meeting of the fourth legislature of the National Assembly.
The gratuity in the Education and Teaching System, according to the law, translates into "exemption from any payment for registration, class attendance, school material and social support, for all students attending primary education in public educational institutions".
The State, the document notes, must create the conditions for pupils attending primary education in public-private and private institutions "to have access to school material, namely school textbooks, by making them available free of charge".
"The State shall guarantee and promote the conditions necessary to make attendance at the initiation class and first cycle of secondary education free of charge, as well as school health and school meals in public educational institutions", reads the approved diploma as a whole.
According to Miraldina Jamba, member of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), her parliamentary group voted in favour because she hopes that with the implementation of the law "there will be substantial improvements in the education and teaching system".
UNITA considers that education, in addition to being free, "should be compulsory and should include those responsible for making it compulsory, and that school meals should not be an exercise in propaganda," the deputy said in her explanation of vote.
Vítor Kajibanga, deputy of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) considered that the law now approved introduces "significant changes in the functioning of all education and teaching subsystems".
"Aiming to improve the organization, functionality and performance of the education and teaching system", he stressed, adding that the law also aims at "greater social inclusion and the simultaneous promotion of compulsory education".
The Law amending the Basic Law of the Education and Teaching System also contemplates the modality of distance education, which should occur in a virtual way, and the modality of semi-presential education.
The deputies also approved unanimously and in its entirety the Proposal for a Law amending the Industrial Tax Code.
The parliamentary session takes place in Luanda with most deputies participating by videoconference, from other provinces, as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of covid-19.
